Lou Gehrig speech: What did he say and why is Lou Gehrig disease named after him? Updated: 3:50 ET, Jun 3 2021 TWO years before his death Lou Gehrig, the Iron Horse of baseball, made one of the most memorable speeches in the history of sports. But what did he say and why is Lou Gehrig disease named after him? 1 Who is Lou Gehrig? Lou Gehrig was a baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1939. His 2,130-game streak earned him the nickname Iron Horse. He was an All-Star seven consecutive times, a Triple Crown winner and an American League (AL) Most Valuable Player twice.